Wire-twister.



M. G. HOEFT.

WIRE TWISTER.

APPLICATION FILED MAR. 15. I916.

Patented J a1; 23, 1917.

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M. G. HOEFT.

WIRE TWISTER.

APPLICATION FILED MAR. 15, 1916.

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WIRE TWISTER.

APPLICATION FILED MAR. I51 Hilfi- 1 ,21 3,643 Patented Jan. 23, 1917.

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MARTIN GEO. HOEFT, OF OLPE, KANSAS.

WIRE-TWISTER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented J an. 23, 1917.

Application filed March 15, 1916. Serial No. 84,481.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, MARTIN Gno. Honr'r, a citizen of the United States, residing at Olpe, in the county of Lyon and State of Kansas, have invented new and useful Improvements in Wire-Twisters, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to improvements in means for twisting wire and joining the same.

An object of the invention is to produce a device of this character wherein two movable connections are employed each carrying a wire twisting member and provided with means for moving the carriages toward or away from each other as well as with means operated by the carriage operating means for revolving the wire twisting members in opposite directions only when the carriages are traveling away from each other.

It is a still further object of the invention to produce an apparatus for twisting wire to connect the same wherein the barrels receiving the wires are formed with longitudinally extending slots and provided with hooked ends that engage with the wires, the said barrels being also mounted on hollow slotted shafts and provided with means whereby the same may be positively revolved in opposite directions and in unison and wherein the wires will be effectively held within the slotted shafts against accidental removal.

It is a still further object of the invention to produce an apparatus of this character which shall embody the desirable features of simplicity, cheapness, efliciency, and accurac Vl ith the above and other objects in view, the improvement resides in the construction, combination and arrangement of parts set forth in the following specification and falling within the scope of the appended Fig. 6 is a sectional view on the line (Zd of Fig. 1, Fig. 7 is a sectional. view approximately on the line 6-6 of Fig. 1, but illustrating a different manner of gear, Fig. 8 is a longitudinal sectional view approximately on the line e-e of Fig. 1, Fig. 9 is a sectional view approximately on the line 7'/" of Fig. 1, and Fig. 10 is a perspective view of one of the barrel members.

The improved wire twister and connector may be employed upon any device wherein it is found that the employment of the same is desirable, as for instance, upon a wagon, baling press, or the like.

The improvement contemplates the employment of a base 1, which in the showing of the drawings, is illustrated as a substantially rectangular plate having suitable openings for the reception of the securing elements. The base, at the opposite ends thereof, is formed with angular flanges 2-2, each of the flanges being provided with rounded orifices for the reception of the rounded ends of screw shafts 3--3 and a gear operating shaft 4 which is disposed intermediate of the screw shafts 3. The screw shafts 3, from their center, have their threads arranged at opposite pitches and are provided adjacent one of their ends each with a toothed wheel 5. These wheels 5 are adapted to mesh with spur gears 6 provided upon a shaft 7 that is arranged in a line with one of the flanges 2 and is journaled in openings provided upon suitable brackets 8. One of the ends of the shaft 7 has secured thereto a beveled gear 9 which meshes with the beveled teeth upon an operating wheel 10, the said wheel 10 having its shaft secured in suitable bearings provided upon the base 1 and also upon an offset member 11 that is secured to the base, and the said operating wheel is provided with a turning handle 12. The gear shaft 4 is square in cross-section, except of course at. its bearing ends. The same is also provided with a rounded surface upon which is arranged a toothed wheel 13 that meshes with a pinion 1% upon the main shaft 7. Pivotally secured to this wheel 13 is a pawl 15 that is adapted to co-act with a ratchet wheel 16 secured upon the gear shaft 4. By this arrangement it will be noted that the gear shaft will be revolved in one direction, the pawl ratcheting over the member 16 when the shaft is rotated in an opposite direction, and the pawl and ratchet are so arranged as to rotate the gear shaft only when the carriages, hereinafter to be referred to in detail, are to be moved in a direction toward each other or in a direction toward the flanged ends.

The carriages are indicated by the numerals 17 and 18 respectively, and the same may be arranged upon suitable hearings or ways provided between the same and the base 1. Each of these carriages preferably comprises a substantially rectangular structure, each having secured therein a pair of nut members 19, the threaded bores of said nuts being engaged by the oppositelythreaded screw-shafts 33 and whereby when the said shafts are rotated in one direction, the carriages will be brought toward each other and, of course, when rotated in an opposite direction, the said carriages will be moved away from each other.

Each of the carriages is further provided with a toothed wheel 20 that has a hollow shaft and is journaled in suitable bearings in the sides of the carriages, the bore of the shaft being square to receive the square gear shaft 4. The toothed wheel 20 carried by the carriage 17 is adapted to mesh with two smaller toothed wheels or gears 21 and 22 respectively, the said gears also meshing with peripheral teeth provided upon a barrel member 23. The barrel 23 has its inner end, or its end arranged adjacent the inner face of the carriage, reduced and journaled in a bearing opening in the said face or side of the carriage. The barrel is formed with a slightly wedge-shaped slot 24 which extends its entire length and which communicates with its rounded bore, and the numeral 25 designates a hollow slotted shaft which is secured to the outer side or wall of the carriage 17 and provides a journal for the barrel 23. The reduced end of the barrel is formed with an extension or nozzle 26 which has a slot registering with the slot 24 and which has its end provided with a book 27.

In order to assist in maintaining the barrel in proper longitudinal position in the carriage 17 as well as to cover the slot 24 at intervals, I arrange uponthe opposite sides of the barrel and adjacent the upper end thereof longitudinally extending roller members 2828 which are provided with teeth adapted to engage with the teeth on the barrel. By an arrangement as above described it will be noted that the wire end may be readily inserted through the slot 24 of the barrel into the hollow shaft or axle 25, and as the slot of the axle is only uncovered when the reduced end of the beveled slot 24 alines therewith the liability of the wire becoming disconnected or accidentally removed will be reduced to a minimum. Furthermore, the toothed wheels 21 and 22 insure the proper rotation of the barrel, as when the cap provided by the slot is arranged adjacent one of the said wheels the other wheel will engage with the teeth of the barrel, so that a positive rotary move ment of the barrel is thus insured.

The toothed wheel 20 in the carriage 18 is of a greater cross-sectional diameter than the toothed wheel 20 of the carriage 17, and meshes directly with the teeth upon the barrel 29 in the said carriage 18. This barrel. is of a similar construction to the barrel 23 having its inner end reduced and received in a suitable bearing in the inner side or face of the said carriage 18 and being provided with an extending nozzle which has its free end formed with a hook. Likewise the barrel is journaled upon a hollow axle 30, the said axle being slotted throughout its length and the said slot registering with the slot in the barrel when the slot is arranged adjacent the face of the carriage. In this connection it should be stated that both of the carriages have their side walls notched or slotted to aline with the respective slots and axles therefor. The toothed wheel 20 meshes with a toothed wheel 31 which in turn meshes with the teeth of a roller member 32, and this roller member has its teeth coacting with the teeth of the barrel 29. Disposed opposite the roller 32 is a second roller 33 which is also provided with teeth and which serves as an idler, similar to the idler rollers 28, to properly maintain the barrel 29 in proper longitudinal position. As the toothed members 20 and 32 both engage with the teeth of the barrel 29, it will be noted that a positive rotary movement of the said barrel is insured.

In Fig. 7 of the drawings the toothed wheel 20 of the carriage 17 meshes with a toothed wheel or roller 34 that has its teeth meshing with the teeth of the barrel 23.

The wheel 20 also meshes with a plurality of idler tooth wheels 35-35, one of which engages with the teeth of an idler roller 36, and this roller meshes with the teeth of the barrel 23, while disposed opposite the wheel 36 is a similar idler roller 37 that likewise meshes with the teeth of the barrel.

The operation of the device may be briefly described as follows: The operating wheel 10 is actuated to revolve the main shaft 7 which through the medium of the '3 meshing toothed wheels and pinions will revolve the screw shafts 3 bringing the carriages toward each other. A stop 39 is provided to limit the inward movement of the carriages. When the carriages contact with the stop the wires are arranged one within each of the respective barrels and the end of the wire passing through the barrel 23 is connected to the hook on the end of the nozzle on the barrel 29, and likewise the wire end passing through the barrel 29 is secured to the hook 27 of the nozzle of the barrel 23. When the wire is thus arranged the operating wheel is revolved in a reverse from each other and also causing the operation of the shaft 4. When this shaft is revolved the barrels 23 and 29 will be rotated at a comparatively rapid speed in opposite directions and the wire will be effectively and quickly twisted to connect the ends thereof. When the ends of the wire are thus properly connected the carriages may be again moved toward each other to release the ends of the wire from the hooks on the nozzles of the barrels and the wires lifted out of the alining slots in the hollow axles and through the slots in the barrels, when the device may be again positioned for another operation.

Having thus described the invention, What I claim is:

1. In a wire twister, two carriages, a wire engaging member on each of the carriages, means for moving the carriages longitudinally, means for permitting the movement of the carriages toward each other without actuating the wire engaging means, and means for revolving the wire engaging means in opposite directions only when the carriages are traveling away from each other.

2. In a wire twisting apparatus, two carriages, oppositely-threaded screw-shafts engaging nuts secured in the carriages, gears in the carriages, a wire-receiving barrel having teeth meshing with the gears in each of the carriages, a hook upon each of the barrels, means for operating the screw-shafts to move the carriages toward or away from each other, and means actuated by said operating means for revolving the gears when the carriages are moved away from each other.

3. In an apparatus for twisting the ends of wires to connect the same, a base, screw shafts having oppositely pitched threads journaled in bearings on the base, two carriages each having two nut members engaging the threads of the screw shafts, gears journaled in hearings in each of the carriages, a slotted barrel having teeth meshing with the gears on each of the carriages, a wire receiving element upon each of the barrels, a hollow slotted shaft for each of the barrels, means for actuating the screw shafts to move the carriages toward or away from each other, means for limiting the movement of the carriages, and means actuated by the said operating means for revolving the gears to rotate the barrels in opposite directions when the carriages are moved away from each other only.

4. In an apparatus for twisting the ends of wires to connect the same. a base, flanges on the ends of the base, shafts having oppositel pitched teeth iournaled in hearings in the flanges, two carriages upon the base, two

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nut members in each of the carriages engaging with the threads of the shafts, means for simultaneously rotating the shafts to move the carriages longitudinally of the base, means for limiting the movement of the carriages, gears journaled in bearings in the carriages, a wire-twisting element engaging with and operated by said gears, and means for rotating said gears to turn the wire-engaging elements in opposite directions when the carriages are moved away from each other.

In an apparatus for twisting the ends of wire to join the same, a base having its ends flanged, shafts journaled in hearings in the said flanges, certain of said shafts being threaded and the said threads being arranged at opposite pitches from their center, the remaining shaft being square in crosssection, said shafts passing through said carriages, nut members secured to the carriages or engaging with the threaded shafts, a toothed wheel having a square bore in each of the carriages and engaged by the square shaft,- gears journaled in the carriages and meshing with said toothed wheel, wire-receiving members having hooked ends coengaging with the gears, toothed wheels for the shafts, a toothed wheel upon the square shaft being loosely arranged thereon, a pawl carried by this toothed wheel, a ratchet wheel secured to the square shaft and engaged by the pawl, a shaft arranged transversely of the first-mentioned shafts. toothed wheels upon the said shaft meshing with the referred-to toothed wheels upon the first-mentioned shafts, and means for actuating the last-mentioned shaft.

6. In an apparatus for twisting the ends of wire to join the same, a base. two carriages on the base. a hollow slotted shaft on each of the carriages, a barrel having a beveled opening communicating with its bore on each of the shafts. each of said barrels having an extending nozzle formed with a wire-engaging hook and each of said barrels being provided with peripheral teeth, toothed rollers disposed on the opposite sides of the barrels and meshing with the teeth thereof. a shaft passing through each of the carriages, a toothed wheel looselv arranged upon the shaft and rotatable with the shaft, toothed wheels journaled in bearings in the carriages and meshing with the last-mentioned toothed wheel and with the teeth in the barrels. means for movinu the carriages toward or away from each other. and means for rotating the last-mentioned shaft of the carria es to actuate the ears and revolve the arrels in opposite directions when the carria es are moved away from each other.

In testimony w e eo I af ix m signature.

MARTIN GEO. HOEFT.

by addressing the Commissioner of Patents.

Washington, D. G. 

